PETER OBI LAMENTS AS UNKNOWN PERSONS DEMOLISH HIS YOUNGER BROTHER’S PROPERTY IN LAGOS WITHOUT DEMOLITION ORDER OR NOTICE

Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has shared how some unknown persons demolished his younger brother’s property in Lagos State without a demolition order or permit.

He described the situation as coordinated lawlessness and impunity while detailing what happened via an X post on Tuesday night.

Obi said that his brother had called him earlier in the day in panic. A group of people with excavators invaded his company’s Ikeja property, which he had owned for about 15 years.

Security men denied Obi’s brother, who had just returned from Port Harcourt, access to the property.

“They even informed him that this demolition had started over the weekend. As a peace-loving Nigerian, he quickly started processing to go to court immediately, not knowing what must have resulted in this, as they moved fast to destroy his home without any restraint,” Obi wrote.

The former presidential candidate said he had to travel to Lagos, and he visited the property upon his arrival. The security officers also attempted to stop him from accessing the property.

Obi said he pleaded with them before they allowed him in, and they claimed to have a court judgment, which he immediately asked to see.

“You would not believe that the court judgment they claim was issued against an unknown person, and squatters. I went further to ask about a demolition order or permit, and there was none,” he said.

“How do you sue an unknown person? How does a court issue a judgment in such a farce of a case? No one was served. No name was written. Yet they showed up with excavators and began destroying a structure that had stood for over 15 years.

“I immediately asked the excavators for the person who had sent them, and they said they didn’t know anyone, but they were only informed to come and demolish the house. I immediately told them to tell whoever it is that I would like to speak with them, if they can call my number, which I shared with the excavators, so that I can speak with whomever gave them the order to demolish the property.”

Obi said he waited from 10 am to 2 pm, hoping someone would call or show up to provide clarity on the situation, but no one did. He said that the contractor on site claimed he did not know who had sent him.

“Two men later came and said they would like us to go to a police station. I asked if they even had a demolition order, but they had nothing. The whole situation screamed of coordinated lawlessness and impunity. Our country has become lawless,” Obi stated.

“I just started reminiscing about how just over the weekend, I had a meeting when someone told me how he has investments in Ghana, Senegal, and the Benin Republic, but won’t touch Nigeria despite his market being here. I asked him why. His answer was piercing: “Nigeria is a lawless country. Until we have laws that protect people, nobody will invest in Nigeria.

“I am just shocked. How did Nigeria get to this level of lawlessness?
What kind of country are we trying to build when the rights of citizens, their lives, their properties, and their voices are trampled upon daily

FIJ